


Come Alive

by mariamuses



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, fluff/angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 12:33:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15096812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariamuses/pseuds/mariamuses
Summary: I hope you guys like this. I’ve had this terrible writing block on top of a million things to do so, yeah, enjoy and please leave a comment if you liked it!





	Come Alive

Aelin had been working at the fire department number 55 since she came out of the academy; she was the epitome of what a firefighter should be: willing, active, alert, physically ready for everything, intelligent, obedient… she had it all, even the looks.

The first day she came to work at the 55, Aelin got a lot of stares and whispers behind her back and she knew what they were about, because it’s not everyday you see a girl firefighter and male egos were so big they all worried she was going to get killed on her first day at work just because she had boobs.

Those lasted until their first emergency, where she climbed two stories of a building with her bare hands when everyone thought the old lady on the 2nd floor was a goner. But not her, she didn’t give up and got the lady out alive, along with her cat.

Overall, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius loved her job and the part she got to play in her community, saving lives of people… and cats. The only thing she didn’t like was the number 56.

The fire department number 56 was the closest to theirs, and there was a gray, shared area between the two of them because the city had grown at such a high rate when the departments were made that ‘The Gray Area’ (that’s what everyone called it) was born when both departments had been at the same distance to it. The Gray Area belonged to both, which meant that every emergency that occurred in it will belong to the team that got there first.

And that’s how the rivalry was born.

* * *

The first Gray emergency she had was when she was 2 months into her job. The day had started off normal, everyone training in the gym, warming up for the following hours when the siren rang.

Everyone suited up and when the captain arrived to the parking where the trucks were, silence spread.

“Okay everybody, listen up. We have a GAE and if we don’t hurry our asses, the 56 will be there to take our job. Understood?” explained captain Westfall.

“Aye sir!” answered everyone in unison.

“Okay let’s go!”

Everyone dispersed and got to their truck, and in less than a minute they were out the station.

While she watched the building rush by her window, Aelin asked:

“What’s a GAE? I’ve never hear about it in all my way through the academy…”

Dorian, her best friend on the station, answered:

“A GAE is a Grey Area Emergency. We share rights for area 221 with the 56 so we need to get there as soon as possible if we want our stats to go up. They’ve beaten us 17 times this year and we’ve beaten them 19 so we need to keep the streak going or we’ll lose the competition.”

Aelin raised an eyebrow.

“Competition?”

“Yes. We hold a year-long comp with them to see who gets more GAEs and the winner has the right to take the first 2 GAEs of the following year without trying to “fight” for it. It’s a pretty big advantage to have, and the loser hosts the party and has to endure the other rubbing it one their face”, explained Dorian. “Ah. Here we are. Galathynius, are you ready?”

“Hell, yeah.”

* * *

“QUICK EVERYONE! LADDER IN POSITION BEFORE THE 6 GETS HERE!”

All hands went to the task the captain had demanded and when they were halfway through, they heard a siren.

“C’MON 55! THEY’RE COMING!”

A fire truck parked right beside theirs and firefighters started to flood out of it, just to look up and see the ladder of the 55 hit the building.

“AND THE BUILDING IS OURS! NOW EVERYONE, YOU KNOW THE PROTOCOL. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO SAVE LIVES PEOPLE!”

Groans and cheers could be heard, each coming from a different district.

As Aelin and her workmates sprung into action, the 56 filed back into their truck, and the last thing Aelin remembers seeing after the truck sprinted back to their station was a flash of silver hair and pine green eyes.

* * *

_Five months later_

As Chaol marched into the station back from the districts’ meeting, he proclaimed cupping his hands around his mouth:

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR’S GAE COMP IS… DISTRICT NUMBER 55!”

Everyone started whooping and cheering, celebrating the win they had just achieved and releasing the tension that had built up in the captain’s absence.

“As most of you know, we had a tie of GAEs between us so, as the rules say, the number with more emergencies solved will get the prize, and the 56 had a total of 50 GAEs, like us and 1,825 emergencies, while we had… drumroll please”. Everyone hit their hands on their desks. “1,829!”

More chaos and noise burst up again, this time everyone getting out of their seats to congratulate each other on the work well done.

“Attention everyone. As you know, the dinner and party will be at 8pm today, and it will last all the way to the New Year, so bring you spouses and kids to celebrate the New Year with your loved ones while still rubbing it on the 56 faces. FIVE-FIVE!”

“FIVE-FIVE”, screamed everyone back.

* * *

It was known that even though the 55 and the 56 had a competition, out of it they got most of their social life. They had been competing for so long that now they all had relatives in the other fire department: wives, nephews, cousins, friends… you name it. And all of that was possible thanks to the New Year’s Eve party. They mingled and talked about the fires they put up, and the kittens they had gotten from trees, and specially, they told each other the weird stories. That was the night where the newbies got to see how unique it was to be part of the 55 and the 56.

That night, Aelin got a ride from his cousin Aedion, who shared department with her, and his girlfriend Lysandra, who had been on the 56 for three years.

When they got to the 56 building, Aelin couldn’t believe her eyes. It looked nothing like the boring, old, gray department, but instead was decorated with multicolored Christmas lights, Santa Claus’ hanging from windows, fake snow on the glass doors and a giant Christmas tree with firefighter-themed ornaments.

Aelin’s jaw hanged open for a good few minutes, until she regained her composure.

“Wow”, she whispered.

Lysandra, who was riding shotgun with Aedion driving, turned around on her seat and said:

“Yeah, we didn’t win, but at least the loser gets to show off their decoration abilities. It’s a good consolation prize to see the faces on the people who arrive. Helps with the spirit of Christmas and all.”

Aelin just nodded back, taking it all in and when the car stopped, she stepped out of it, being careful with the skirts of her dress and making sure nothing was out of place.

When she looked up from it, she saw a silver-haired, handsome man looking at her, but as soon as they made eye contact, the stranger turned around and went inside.

Lysandra caught up with her and explained:

“ _That_ , was Whitethorn. He’s one of this year’s newbies, but don’t let him fool you; he’s only new because he transferred departments. He was involved in an accident and the board thought that a change of scenery would be best for him. He’s moody, but real good. His were some of the best saves this years and has actually helped our team bond even more, if that’s possible. Do you fancy him?”

“What? Me? Nah, I’m good”, answered Aelin, a thoughtful expression settling in her face.

“A”, piped in Aedion, who had sneakily caught up with them; calling her by her childhood nickname. “You’re allowed to move on. It’s what Sam would’ve wanted. He wouldn’t have liked one bit to see you stop your life only because his did. What happened to him was not your fault and it was a tragedy, but you need to keep going, cous.”

“I just… I don’t know, Aedion. I have enough baggage to sort through, I don’t need to add any more to his, or mine.”

“Justꟷ just try okay? Everyone has seen you two sneakily glancing at each other during the GAEs. You’d go really well together”, pushed Aedion.

“ _Fine._ But don’t meddle. You’re such a gossip.”

Aedion gasped, but Lysandra interrupted him by saying:

“Honey, you are. Embrace it.”

Aelin chuckled and went inside with them.

* * *

The second they went through the door a glass-made mountain of champagne greeted them. You know, the kind where you serve the glass on the top and it pours all the way down to the bottom glasses of the pyramid/mountain.

If Aelin planned on talking to Rowan Whitethorn tonight, she was going to be needing a few of those, so she steered towards it, but she turned her head for a second to ask her cousin if he wanted some too, and she collided with someone and started falling to the ground.

 _Oh shit,_ thought Aelin.  _I’m gonna flop on the floor on the first minute since getting here. This is going to be a long night…_

Right as she braced herself for the impact, a strong arm sneaked around her middle, pulling her up and saving her from the embarrassment by graciously making it seem like he was dipping her.

When she came up from the fall/dip, she hit, again, the amazingly strong chest of her savior and immediately she started to apologize.

“I am  _so sorry._ I was justꟷI just went andꟷ” she stuttered.

“Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t see you either. We’re even”, answered the strong stranger.

Aelin looked up and she suddenly stood face to face with Rowan. She quickly stepped away and glanced down at her shoes, rubbing her the back of her neck.

He stood there until she gathered enough courage to look up and introduce herself, extending her hand out.

“Hi. I’m Aelin Ashryver Galaꟷ”

“I know who you are. And you probably know who I am too”, cut her Rowan.

“Oh, do I, Buzzard?”, snorted back Aelin.

“Buzzard?”, questioned Rowan, raising a single eyebrow.

“Yeah, because you look like one with that buzzed, silver hair of yours”, she explained.

“Well, if you’re set on calling me  _that_ then I’ll call you Fireheart”, he declared, crossing his arms.

She frowned and crossed her arms, a distant look dawning on her face, and turned around, ready to leave the party.

Rowan went after her and grabbed her arm and turned her around.

“Hey, hey! I’m sorry. I didn’t want to offend you, please don’t go”, begged her.

She still didn’t look at him, so he carefully moved his hand to her chin, slowly, so she could see his intention. He gently put his finger under her chin and made her look into his eyes. When she did, he found two wet trails in her cheeks and hurt in her eyes.

“What did I do?”, he asked in a low voice while he moved them to a more private area.

“It’s nothing. Please just…” Aelin sighed and looked away again. “Christmas is a hard time. It’s just that.”

“Yeah but you weren’t like this until I nicknamed you”, pointed out Rowan.

“Well, that was the nickname my parents gave me when I was a baby because I had always been fascinated with firefighters.”

“I take it they’re not alive anymore?”

“No. Ironically, a fire killed them. I was at a sleepover with my cousin, but my boyfriend had gone to my house to surprise me. They all died”, she swallowed. “And I became a firefighter. I bowed that no one else would die in a fire if I was able to stop it.”

Silenced ensued for the next few minutes until Rowan broke it.

“It shows. I called you that because every time we had a GAE, I could see you working the hardest out of everyone, almost as if the fire was calling for you.” A pause, and then: “I’m sorry for your loss. Losing people you love is hard, but losing them to the fire is worse.”

“Wait. You lost someone to the fire too?” asked Aelin, a spark of interest shining in her eyes.

“Yes. My girlfriend. I was on duty, but we lived in another department’s area, so I didn’t really find out until the police called me”, he told her. “They transferred me because they thought I would thrive better if the place I worked wasn’t tainted with the memory of my dead girlfriend. Because she was a firefighter too, in that same department.”

They both just stood there breathing.

And they shared their entire lives under the fake chandelier the 56 had installed in the gym/ballroom.

“For whatever is worth, I’m sorry for your loss, too. I think the worst part for me is watching everyone move on, specially now on Christmas, everyone kissing their significant others, and me being stuck here. Because I don’t want my boyfriend to pity me, I want them to understand.”

Rowan looked at her and sneaked his hands around her hips, while she closed them around his, both standing there swaying to the rhythm of their own music.

He tucked a loose piece of her hair behind her ear and said:

“I understand.”

Aelin smiled into his chest.

“I know. Is it crazy to feel this way about a person just after a few hours of talking?” asked Aelin.

“I don’t think so. Not when our lives have been marked in the same way, specially not when the woman I’m staring at is beauty made flesh.”

Aelin smirked.

“Oh, am I?”

“Absolutely. I would call this a Christmas miracle, but it’s New Years’ Eve, so maybe I just got lucky enough for someone to kiss me when the year starts”, explained Rowan.

“Only when the year starts? What about after? What about right now?”, inquired Aelin.

“Well, if you insist, I might be able to make you my girlfriend”, conceded Rowan.

“Oh, you  _might,_ Buzzard?”

“Absolutely, Fireheart. If that’s alright with you.”

“It is. For the first time in a long while, it is”, she said, then proceeded to kiss him, entwining her hands into his hair and feeling his hands grab her hips and pushing her towards him, feeling that fire inside her come alive once more.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys like this. I’ve had this terrible writing block on top of a million things to do so, yeah, enjoy and please leave a comment if you liked it!


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